A new-age technological race has begun, one that can change the international balance of power, drastically alter economies, and perhaps even further mankind’s technological capabilities. The push for fifth-generation cellular (5G) and the meticulous planning required for its implementation has many waiting to see which nation and cellular provider will pull ahead and set up the cutting-edge 5G first. With this comes a new competition—one between global powers like the US, China, South Korea, and Japan—a frenzied rush to deliver this potentially groundbreaking technological improvement. Expected to launch by 2020, one of 5G’s main advantages over 4G is its significant improvement in speed. But however promising 5G may seem, one must not overlook its stipulations and side-effects.
So why are all of these nations and service providers scrambling to set up a comprehensive 5G network? While 5G has the potential to be from ten to twenty times faster than the current 4G, allowing people to download entire movies in what could be a matter of seconds, experts and government officials predict that 5G may also set off a wave of innovation in tech, spurring the economy, leading to large profits, and opening potential for new businesses to establish themselves in the field. Often referenced are the effects that 4G had on the proliferation and success of particular smartphone applications. Popular apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and text messaging apps like WhatsApp all were made more practical by 4G technology, which allowed for pictures and other visual media to be rapidly downloaded and viewed using cellular data.
If 4G allowed the app industry to flourish, who knows what the future of the lightning-fast 5G technology will hold? Some predict a significant improvement in the reaction time and quality of self-driving cars, owing to the speed increase and reduction of latency that 5G will yield. Others believe that 5G will lead to more capable robots that could perform complex tasks like surgery.
Though powerful, 5G technology does have a number of caveats. Firstly, cellular providers may take a number of years to implement 5G. Also, even when 5G is added, it will be inaccessible to data users unless a new, 5G-compatible smartphone is purchased. Worse yet, the technology will require the installation of many more cellular towers, which could ruin the appearance of neighborhoods and clutter streets. One of the reasons why 5G will require many more cellular towers is its extremely short wavelength. 5G’s frequency, which will likely range from 30 to 300 gigahertz (or a wavelength between 1 and 10 millimeters), will allow it to avoid potential interference from other radio waves. The downside of a change in operating frequency is not that they will suffer disruption from other wireless signals, but rather—ironically enough—that their range may be negatively affected by natural sources, such as rain and fog, in addition to other physical obstructions, because of their unique wavelength. In order to accommodate these shortfalls, quite a few cellular towers and antennas will be required. According to CBS News, a whopping 300,000 entirely new cellular towers must be constructed to provide adequate 5G coverage nationwide.
While the effects of 5G are yet unknown, many are hopeful of its potential and benefits. While 5G is certainly an exciting concept, we shouldn’t disregard its numerous downsides and its requirements. By looking through rose-colored glasses, we may overlook major caveats and cave in to large cellular companies and their constant pressure. Thus, it is important to stay level-headed and carefully consider what 5G could lead to if we don’t want to regret overhyping it in the future.